Starlit
by FyreOpal25
Summary: Ed and Al can't spend every moment chasing the Stone. It's fluff. Please review. Ed swears, a little.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: If I owned Fullmetal Alchemist, would I need a disclaimer?

Ed stared up at the stars. The meteor shower would be starting in about an hour. He glanced to the right. Al's shadow stretched over the ground, a massive pool of inky black. Almost like a sky without stars.

"Hey, Ed?"

"Yeah?"

"Remember the first time we ever sat up to see a meteor shower?"

Ed paused as he thought back. "Let's see… I was about six, and you were five…"

"Mom told us she had a surprise for us. She made us take a long nap that afternoon. You complained until you fell asleep."

"And when we got up, we had dinner. It was December, so Mom made us put coats on and grab several blankets. We went to the top of the hill, and Winry and Granny Pinako were there waiting for us."

Al shifted, picking up a stick that was on the ground. "Mom and Granny Pinako wouldn't tell us what was going on. You were pouting about that…."

"I WAS NOT POUTING!"

Al chuckled. " And then the shower started. We sure were amazed."

Ed grinned wickedly. " You were scared!"

"No, I wasn't. Remember how we sat there until the shower ended, and then we all went inside and had cocoa?"

"Yeah. I remember. When we went to bed, all we could do was talk , for about five minutes before we fell asleep." In the starlight, Al could just see the soft smile on his older brothers face. "The next day Mom was so happy that we had liked her surprise."

Ed glanced up, "Hey Al, it's starting!"

Silver streaks began to appear across the sky as the brothers stood to watch. They flashed bright and were gone in a breath.

Ed smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Hmmm…. Still need one of these….

Several hours later, the brothers Elric headed into town. The late morning sun slanted over green pastures and the dusty road ahead of them. The air was cool and quiet, broken only by the occasional birdsong.

"Dammit, Al! I am not going to go back to Mustang empty handed again! I'll find something on the Stone in this town if it kills me!"

_So much for a quiet morning, _Al sighed mentally. He loved his brother with everything in him, but sometimes he wished Ed would just enjoy their travels. Instead, Ed considered them an annoyance put upon him by Colonel Mustang, and had no problem letting everyone know it.

As they crested a hill overlooking the town of Tier, Al noticed a white painted sign on the grass next to the road. In large blue letters, it proudly proclaimed "6TH ANNUAL TIER FAIR TODAY".

"Brother! Let's go to the fair!"

Jerked from his daydream of finally insulting Mustang and getting the last word in an argument, Ed blinked.

"A fair? Us? What? Why?"

"There's a fair in town today Ed. Let's go. We can just have fun. You can relax, and I can look at all the farm animals they'll probably have there."

Ed hesitated. It was tempting, especially with all the hope Al was putting into his voice. Ed glanced a t the suit of armor. _Who says armor can't have expressions, anyway? They never met Al…_

"I don't know Al. We still need to do research…"

"We can do the research tomorrow. Besides, don't they usually have lots of food at these country fairs? I'm sure they do…"

"Hey Al! What are you waiting for!"

Ed was already more than halfway down the hill when Al , laughing quietly to himself, started down. _If all else fails, food will usually do the trick. Brother, you are so easy to sway…_

A note: Thank you to everyone who read this! Cookies for you! Extra special thank you to** Merkitten** and **origamistarshape **for the reviews. Hot fudge sundaes for you! I know I took a long time to get this up (sorry) but I got stuck. The story didn't want to go anywhere like what I originally planned. However, my muse finally kicked into gear (scaring my mother, since I ran through the house laughing hysterically) and now I can continue!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: If I need one, I don't own it.

"Well, Mayor? What are we going to do? Most people don't want to deal with that kind of pressure!"

The mayor of Tier looked at the sky, debating how to solve this new problem. "We'll find someone. We have to."

"Right! Some idiot is just going to walk right up and volunteer!"

Meanwhile, Ed and Al had reached the entrance to the fair, Ed considerably ahead of his brother. Excitement glowed deep in his golden eyes as he took in the entrance to the fair. _I haven't gone to a country fair in at least a couple of years. I wonder if they'll have funnel cakes, _Ed considered this as he waited for Al.

"Hey, Brother! Look at that sign!" Al pointed to a large board on which many different things had been nailed. Smack in the middle of it was a red bordered sign that advertised an alchemy competition.

"It says it's open to 'amateur' alchemists only. I can't enter, but you could Al. Why don't you go ahead, I bet you'll win easily!"

If armor could blush, Al would have matched Ed's coat. "Do you think so? I mean…"

Ed grinned. " Go on, Al. Besides, I see they have cotton candy! Let's go!"

Al followed his older brother into the fairgrounds. "Ed, the tent over there is where I sign up. I catch up to you later."

Ed nodded, his eyes on the booth with the cotton candy.

Al walked to the tent, careful not to bump into anything. It was still early, so there weren't many people out yet. The man in the tent smiled as Al came in. "Hello there! Are you interested in our alchemy competition? Let me explain the rules. We tell you before hand what elements you will be using, then, later today, everyone will perform their alchemy in the field to the left of this tent. We provide the materials. Would you like to enter? You are an amateur, correct?"

Al nodded. "Yes. I think I will enter. My brother can't, so I guess I can show off a little."

"Oh? Why can't your brother enter?"

"Ah, well, uh…"

"Don't worry, Al." Ed walked into the tent holding a paper cone with a large amount of blue cotton candy on it.

"Well, um, okay, what's your name?" The man asked Al, while eyeing Ed. There was something about him that seemed familiar.

"I'm Alphonse Elric."

The man blinked. " So that's why your brother seemed familiar! I used to live in Central, so of course I heard all about the Fullmetal Alchemist!"

"Um, am I still allowed to enter?" Al quietly asked the now very excited man.

"Oh, yes. I don't see why not. I mean, your brother can't, but, I don't see why you wouldn't be allowed to." Suddenly the man gasped. "Wait right here a moment, please. I've just had an idea, and I must find the mayor!"

The man bolted from the tent, leaving the Elrics to stare after him.

_Okay. I wonder what that's all about_, Ed thought as he glanced at Al. "So, Al, are you going to win? Because if you don't…", a sneaky grin slid across Ed's face, " I'll have to tell Winry and Granny Pinako all about it."

"Ed! You're evil!"

The man from the entry tent ran up to the mayor of Tier, waving his hands wildly. "Mayor! I've found someone!"

The mayor smiled, " What, you've found someone? Are you sure?"

"Yes! I mean, I haven't asked him yet, but I think he will!"

A happy look descended upon the mayor's face.

"That's wonderful! You've found us a third person to judge the food entries!"

A note: Thank you to all the readers! Have I mentioned that I like reviews? (Hint, hint) Also, I know the first two chapters where short. Hopefully they will be getting longer. I think this one is. Thank you again!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Yes, this is where I put a disclaimer…

Edward Elric stared at the man in front of him. "You want me to help with some sort of taste test? To judge all the food entries at this fair?"

The mayor shifted nervously. "I'm sorry, I had no right to ask. Someone as important as a State Alchemist is much to busy to bother with this. I'm sorry." Glancing at Ed, the mayor stopped talking.

Ed was grinning. A rather large grin. Actually, it was more like a shark's grin. Right before it chomps your leg.

"Mr. Mayor, I would be deeply honored to help you! I would really enjoy the opportunity!" Ed grabbed the man's hand and began frantically shaking it. "When do I start?"

_Oh, no. Ed, you're going to make yourself sick! _Al couldn't help but chuckle at the greedy expression on his brother's face. _These poor people…_

The mayor lit up almost as bright as Ed. "Certainly, sir! Come with me and we can begin immediately!"

"Al, have fun! I'm going to go score some free food!" Ed whispered. "You better win this alchemy competition."

Al watched his brother drag the mayor from the tent. The mayor was telling Ed all about the cake competition he would be judging first. _Well, I guess Ed's happy now._

Shaking his head over his older brother's antics, Al turned to the man in charge of the alchemy competition. "So, what do I do now?"

Smiling, the man handed Al two sheets of paper. "This will explain all the details. If you'll sign and date this form, I'll get you entered."

Al skimmed the paper in astonishment. Then, grabbing the pen, he quickly signed up.

Notes: This story is giving me a headache. It's actually making me work at writing it. Thank you to any one who is still reading this!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Indicates that I don't own this.

Ed followed the mayor thorough the maze of booths. His eyes were bright and sparkling. They were on their way to the tent where Ed would begin his new job, judging cakes. Ed's stomach growled in anticipation.

"So, exactly what do I do? I've never been around this sort of thing."

The mayor smiled. "Oh, it's very simple actually. You taste the item, then mark down scores on the sheets we give you. They spell out everything you should look for. I'll be judging, as will a local doctor. My name is Jonas LeJeune, by the way. The doctor is Dr. Yvonne Harmon. She should already be at the tent. Ah, here we are."

Ed walked into the tent and went still. On the tables in front of him where literally dozens of different cakes, no two alike. His eyes grew large and his stomach grew noisier. _It's heaven. This has to be what heaven is like,_ Ed thought, momentarily forgetting that he did not believe in heaven.

Mayor LeJeune waved to a tall red haired woman in a chair. "Dr. Harmon, I would like you to meet Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist. He was attending the fair with his brother, and has kindly agreed to be our third judge. Mr. Elric, may I introduce Dr. Yvonne Harmon?"

Ed shook Dr. Harmon's hand. His eyes, however, were on the cakes. "So, when do we start?"

"Let me get the sheets. Here you go," LeJeune passed score sheets to the others. "Each cake is numbered. We each take one bite and then sip some water. When we have tried all the cakes, we add up our individual scores. We then see which ones have made the best scores, and try those again. At that point, we judge which one will be first place, second place, and so on. Okay, are you both ready? Then let's begin!"

Ed immediately headed for the closest table. "Let's see, which one to start with. I think this one. Hummingbird cake."

* * *

Meanwhile, Al was happily wandering around the fair. Most of the people he met seemed a little in awe of his armor, but after he introduced himself, they became friendly.

"Hello there! Would you like to play a game? It's easy!"

Al glanced at the man in the booth. He stood in front of a wall covered with small balloons. "All you have to do is pop a balloon! Pop one and you get a small prize, three and you get a medium, five and you get a large! And if you like, you can trade up."

Al hesitated. It did seem easy.

"You get three darts to start with!"

Al looked at the balloons, and decided to have a bit of fun.

"Sure. All I have to do is pop the balloons, huh? That's no problem."

The man grinned as he handed Al the darts. "Good luck!"

POP!

POP!

POP!

"Hey! You're really good at this." The man seemed surprised that Al had done so well. "Most people usually manage one or two, but you're the first guy I've had hit all three with no hesitation. So, what prize do you want? You get a medium size." The man pointed to a shelf.

Al studied the items. One in particular caught his eye. "I'll take that one."

The man smiled. "Yeah, that one is very cute. Going to give it to your girlfriend?"

Al stuttered. "Uh, um, well, no. I'm going to keep it."

The man chuckled. "Well, I would too, actually."

Al happily walked off to explore the fair, his prize in his hands. The item that had caught his eye was a drawing, white ink on black paper. It was a very skillful sketch of a small kitten looking at it's reflection.

* * *

Notes: Well, this is a little bit longer than normal. Oh, and that prize of Al's? It's real. I didn't get it at a fair, but it's sitting on the shelf next to my Alphonse plushie. I found it at a thrift store a few weeks ago. It just looks right, sitting next to Al. Bye for now, and thanks for reading this far. Reviews are welcome! 


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: You know what a disclaimer means…

Al wandered around the fair. He had won a few more prizes. He had also found the area where the animals were being held. After about an hour of happily petting cows, horses, and lambs, Al decided that it was time to head over for the alchemy competition. "I wonder how Ed's doing? He's probably stuffed himself to the point of not being able to move."

* * *

Amazingly, Ed was still standing. The three judges had almost finished up, and Ed was almost half full. _This is great! I wonder if I can get an invitation to be a judge next year… _Ed was really having fun. The other judges, however, were feeling a bit overfilled.

Dr. Harmon gave a soft groan and looked towards Ed. "How can you still be hungry!"

Mayor LeJeune nodded. "I feel like I'll be sick if I take one more bite!"

"Well, you know, I'm still growing. So, what time is it? I want to go see my brother win that alchemy competition!"

The doctor grinned. "You should go on, then. Your little brother has some tough competition. There are some pretty talented alchemists here in town."

Ed smiled confidently. "Al shouldn't have any problems. What does he have to do, anyway?"

The mayor leaned over and whispered in Ed's ear.

Ed started laughing. "Oh, oh, man…Al's gonna win for sure!"

* * *

Al stood outside the entrance to the field. About fifteen other people stood in a large group nearby. From what he overheard, Al figured they were alchemists who were going to compete. Al chuckled to himself as he thought back to what the paper had said.

The man from the tent walked to a stage on the right side of the field. He grabbed a microphone and began welcoming people to the show.

After explaining the rules, the man began to introduce the alchemists. When all of the alchemists were inside the field, several helpers began passing out the materials the alchemists would use.

"So, is everyone ready? Alchemists, remember, the theme for this year's competition is…Cozy Kittens! You are to produce an item using the elements in front of you that follows the theme! Ready, and, Go!"

The alchemists immediately began to scribble frantically with their pieces of chalk, shoving the items in front of them into their circles. Al quickly drew a standard circle, and then began to add a few touches. He carefully placed the elements he needed into the circle and then laid his hands against the chalk lines.

Blue-white flashes filled the air as the alchemists constructed their items. From his seat high in the stands, Ed grinned as he saw his brother's creation.

* * *

Notes: Um, yeah. Next chapter, the winner revealed! Thanks to anyone who read this. 


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own FMA!

The sun was setting as Ed and Al walked among the booths. Al clutched his prizes in his hands, while Ed happily snacked on a funnel cake.

"See? I told you no one would be able to beat you!" Ed smirked as he walked along.

_Actually, you threatened to embarrass me. _Al laughed to himself. "Ed, what did you really think?"

Ed looked up at his younger brother. "That there was no way you could lose a with a theme like 'Cozy Kittens'! Al, you're a really good alchemist! You're just, well," Ed looked at his funnel cake, "not as much of a show off as I am."

"You admit that you're a show off, then?"

"Grrrr…"

Al chuckled. "Have you played any of the games yet? They have some really fun ones, and you could win a prize for Winry."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know, you tell me!"

"Al…grrrr…"

Al stopped in front of a booth. "Ed, take a look at this!"

Ed glanced at the booth. "Yeah, so what?"

"I think we should get one for Winry and one for Granny Pinako. They would like them."

"You think so?" Ed took another look. "Well, I guess, if you really want to. We'll send them a picture of your kitten statue, too." Ed shook his head. "I can't believe they want to put it in a museum."

Al pointed out the two items he thought Winry and Pinako would like, and turned to find his brother looking at the evening sky. There was a peaceful look in Ed's eyes as he watched the stars begin to appear.

Ed glanced back at Al, and smiled. "Are you ready?"

"Yeah. I'm happy we took the day off, Ed. We had fun, and it feels like it's been a long time since we could do that."

"It has been a while since we just enjoyed traveling around, hasn't it?" Ed reached for the bundle in Al's arms. "I'll carry them. Maybe we should come back next year?"

"I think we should, and we could bring Granny and Winry, too. They'll want to see where we got these suncatchers from. We should give Granny the one with the lily on it. Winry should get the one with the stars and moon."

"Yeah, I like that idea." Ed looked at the stars again. "I think that sounds perfect."

* * *

Notes: That's it. I finally finished this story! This was my first fic. I liked this story, it just seemed to take a lot of effort to get it right. I refused to abandon it, and now, I'm happy. Thank you to everyone who enjoyed 'Starlit'. 


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